Railway signal-lantern.



A..A. ZIBGLER. RAILWAY SIGNAL LANTBRN. ArrLIoATloN FILED JAN. s. 1913.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

.M M W ALFRED A. ZIEGLER, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL-LANTERN.

Original application filed June 6, 1912, Serial No. 701,978.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913. Divided and this application led January 8,

Serial No. 740,773.

To all whom t may concern l Be it known that l, ALFRED A. ZIEGLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Railway Signal-Lanterns, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my application #701,978, filed June 6, 1912.

The invention relates to railway signallanterns employing incandescent electriclamps, and has for its object the provision of a base-plate for the lamps having electric l contact-members thereon, which is adapted l to be removably placed in the lantern-body by a sliding movement and said contactmembers to engage electric contact-members arranged in the lantern-body whereby the circuit for the lamps is established, said base-plate being so constructed that when arranged in the lantern-body it will bei properly localized to insure engagement of the contact-members.

Two incandescent electric-lamps may be arranged on the base-plate and an automatic r circuit-controller provided for including the second lamp in circuit in case the iirst lamp burns out, but so far as my invention is concerned the construction of the lamps and the provision of an automatic circuit-controller therefor are not material.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a railway signal-lantern embodying this invention, the door being raised to expose the electriclamps and the removable base-plate arranged therein. Fig. Q is a plan view of the base-plate and the electric connections by which the lamps are connected with the supply-wires. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the base-plate taken on the dotted line 3&3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4L is a side elevation of a portion of the base-plate. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the blocks to which the circuit-wires are attached. Fig. 6 is a modii fied form of base-plate for the lamps and,I

the electric connections.

a represents the base-plate for the lamps, which is adapted to be removably arranged in the lantern-body a, and b, c electriclamps arranged on said base-plate, one or more of which may be employed. CZ is an electro-magnet arranged on the base-plate and CZ its armature, which controls a switch by which the second lamp is turned on in case the l'irst lamp burns out, substantially i as represented in my aforesaid application. Said base-plate a is designed to be removably placed in the lantern-body, by a sliding movement, so that it can be easily inserted and withdrawn, and suitable electric connections are provided whereby, when inserted, the lamps which are arranged thereon will be connected with the supply wires. As here shown, said base-plate has arranged upon opposite sides of it resilient arms a2, a3, the arm a2 being connected with the plate f4 on the base-plate, and the arm a3 being connected with the plate f on the base-plate, said arms constituting electric contactmembers. opposite sides thereof, two blocks of insulating material a5 and a6 are arranged, having binding-posts al and as to which the supply wires are connected and having contactplates a and am extended down along the adjacent sides of the blocks for engagement therewith of the resilient contact-members c2, a3. The adjacent sides of said blocks a5, a, are formed each with a longitudinal groove extended from end to end of it, and said grooves serve as guides to receive the resilient contact-members a2, a3, as the baseplate is inserted between the blocks to thereby guide the movement of the base-plate.

When the base-plate is slid into place electric connections with the supply-wires are established, but it must be correctly localized so that the contact-members a2, a3, will engage respectively the contact-plates a0, am. To provide for thus localizing the base-plate it is made of a length to substantially fit the interior of the lantern-body, so that when its rear end strikes against the wall of said body its front end will occupy a position just inside said body to admit of closing of the door, as represented in Fig. 2. Localizing the base-plate to insure engagement of the electric connections is of importance for the reason that many of these lanterns are in charge of persons unskilled in electric construction, hence it is necessary to provide for the engagement of the electric connections by means entirely outside of or beyond their control. In -lieu of the form of block thus described the form shown in Fig. 6 may be employed wherein a single block @20 of insulating material is arranged at the back of the lantern-body, having a pair of contact-members am, @21, attached to binding-posts @22, @22,

In the body of the lantern, at

and the removable 11 base-plate end adapted to engage said contact-members (L21, ce, and the supply-wires are connecter to said binding-posts @22, @22. In this instance the base-plate is simply slid into and out of the lantern and when inserted electric connections are established with the supply-wires. Other forms of electric connections may be employed, arranged on the sliding base-plate for the lamps.

l claim l. A railway signal-lantern comprising a lantern-body having provision for localizing a removable sliding base-plate and having stationarily supported electric contact-members and means for electrically connecting supply-wires thereto, and a removable sliding base-plate bearing an incandescent lamp adapted for localization in said lanternbody, electric contact-members arranged on said base-plate, electrically connected with the lamp and adapted for engagement with the contact-members in the lantern-body when the base-plate bearing them is correctly localized in said lantern-body, substantially as described.

2. A railway signal-lantern comprising a lantern-body, side guides for Aa removable sliding base-plate having stationarily supported electric contact-members and means 'for electrically connecting supply Wires thereto, and a removable sliding base-plate made of a length to substantially it the interior of the lantern-body when the door thereotl is closed, said base-plate bearing an incandescent lamp, electric contact-members arranged on said base-plate, electrically connected with the lamp and adapted for engagement with the contact-members in the lantern-body when the base-plate is slid into said body far enough to admit of closing the door, substantially as described.

3. A railway signal-lantern comprising a Copies of this patent may be l l l obtained ior five cents each, by addressing the has contact-members at its inner l lantern-body having provision Jor localizing a removable sliding base-plate, side guides for said base-plate, stationarily supported electric contact-members arranged on said guides, and means or electrically connecting supply wires thereto, a removable sliding base-plate bearing an incandescent lamp adapted for localization in said lantern-body, and electric contact-members arranged on said base-plate electrically co`nnected with the lamp and adapted for engagement with the contact-members on the side guides when the base-plate is correctly localized in the lantern-body, substantially as described.

a. A railway signal-lantern comprising a lantern-body having provision for localizing a removable sliding base-plate, side guides for said base-plate having grooves in their adjacent sides, stationarily supported electric contact-members arranged on said side guides and extended across the grooves therein, and means for electrically connecting supply-wires thereto, a removable sliding base-plate bearing an incandescent lamp adapted for localization in said lantern-body, and electric contact-members arranged on the sides of said base-plate which are electrically connected with the lamp, said contact-members being extended outward and adapted to enter the grooves in the side guides and engage the contactmembers therein when the base-plate is correctly localize-d in the lantern-body, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED A. ZIEGLER.

vWitnesses B. J. Noves, H. B. DAVIS.

Commissioner of Patente,

Washington, D. C. 

